There is conventionally available composite film form materials comprising peelable self sticking labels, or other similar articles. These are sold commercially with self sticking labels temporarily adhered to a film form base liner substrate. In use, the labels are often preprinted, for example with a person's return address. As needed, each label is peeled from the substrate backing and then permanently affixed to a letter or other appropriate place.
One commercial embodiment of this article uses a multiple layer composite structure comprising a face stock (what will eventually be the label), a pressure sensitive adhesive adhered relatively permanently to the face stock, and a base liner, with a release layer on one side thereof to which the adhesive on the face stock is removably adhered. In the return address illustration set forth above, the return address label would be the face stock. This composite structure is assembled and then passed through a die cutter which has its depth of cut closely controlled so that it cuts the face layer, and the associated adhesive, but not through so much of the base liner/release layer that the die cut severs the base liner as well as the face layer. This allows the later peeling of the labels, which have now been cut from the face layer with pressure sensitive adhesive adhered thereto, from the base liner. When the cut is all the way through the base liner, or even when it is too deep into the base liner, the adhesive may adhere the two layers together with sufficient force to cause the base liner to tear out when peeling the labels is attempted, rather than the adhesive containing labels peeling away from the base liner.
It will be apparent, even from this simple description of this product, that a careful adjustment of the depth of cut, sufficient to achieve what is desired, will be most difficult to accomplish. Thus, it is not uncommon for the base liner to be cut by the die cutting operation, even though efforts are made to carefully control the depth of cut. This can be due to variations in the thickness of the base liner, or of the adhesive layer, or of the face layer, or the die cutting blade. This can also occur as a result of ordinary wear and tear on the machinery which determines the depth of cut.